The Vatican Information Service is a news service, founded in the Holy See Press Office, that provides information about the Magisterium and the pastoral activities of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia...[+]

Last 5 news

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Vatican City, 5 June 2014 (VIS) –
“New civil, cultural and social approaches, and a new pastoral
strategy for the Church” against “modern forms of persecution,
oppression and slavery” are necessary to face the situation of
gypsies throughout the world, said Pope Francis during this morning's
audience with the participants in the meeting “The Church and
gypsies: proclaiming the Gospel in the peripheries”, organised by
the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and
Itinerant Peoples.

The theme of the meeting, said Francis,
involves “the memory of a relationship, that between the
ecclesiastical community and the gypsy population, the history of a
journey to get to know each other, to encounter one another; and then
the challenge for today, a challenge that regards both ordinary
pastoral care and new evangelisation”.

He commented that often gypsies find
themselves on the margins of society, “and at times are looked upon
with hostility and suspicion; they are rarely involved in the
political, economic and social dynamics of the country”. He
continued, “We know that it is a complex reality, but certainly the
gypsy population is also required to contribute to the common good,
and this is possible with adequate itineraries of co-responsibility,
the observance of duties and the promotion of the rights of every
person”.

He observed that among the causes of
misery among various sectors of the population there are factors such
as “a lack of educational structures for cultural and professional
formation, the difficulty of access to healthcare, discrimination in
the employment market and a lack of decent accommodation”. He added
that while these social ills affect everyone, “the weakest groups
are those who most easily become victims of new forms of slavery.
Indeed, the least protected are those who fall into the trap of
abuse, forced begging and other forms of abuse. Gypsies are among the
most vulnerable, especially those who are receive no help in relation
to integration or the promotion of the person in the various
dimensions of civil life”.

The care of the Church is relevant
here: “Indeed, the Gospel is the proclamation of joy for all and
especially for the weakest and most marginalised. We are called upon
to ensure our closeness and solidarity to these people, following the
example of Jesus Christ, who demonstrated His Father's predilection
for them”. However, alongside this united action in favour of the
gypsy population, there needs to be “commitment on the part of
local and national institutions and the support of the international
community, to identify projects and action for improving quality of
life”.

The Holy Father concluded by urging the
Pontifical Council to continue in its task and not to be discouraged,
added, “May gypsies find in you brothers and sisters who love them
with the same love that Christ had for the marginalised. Be, for
them, the welcoming and joyful face of the Church”.